Dog Lady: Other people’s lawns are not toilets for pets

Saturday

Apr 24, 2010 at 12:01 AMApr 24, 2010 at 5:20 PM

Ask Dog Lady questions about dogs

Dog Lady

Dear Dog Lady,

Can you please advise us as to what can be done to discourage dog owners from using our small front lawn for their pets’ toilets? Our front lawn is a beautiful array of blooming spring flowers such as daffodils, tulips, crocuses. The lawn is elevated about 8 to 10 inches from the sidewalk, but people walking their dogs will even lift their smaller animals to do their dirty business. It is unbelievable. Just this morning, I looked out to see a dog about the size of a small Shetland pony squatting. A smaller dog raced in circles while the flowers and new grass were being ripped out of the ground. A woman stood by with two empty leashes in her hand.

Is there a law that offending dog owners can be reported to the police for trespassing or for the violation of private property?

Don’t Tread On Me

Dear Tread, the scene you describe raises the hackles of all responsible dog owners. When dogs trample on others’ property and clueless owners stand by holding leashes, it’s a hot mess.

For now, buy a tasteful “dogs keep off” sign and place it on your lawn. When you see trespassers, go out and politely ask the owner to move the animals. Don’t yell because the strain will hurt you more than the person you’re yelling at. If the same owner comes around again and again, call the police. Your front lawn is private. You have every right to report this. Take pictures and post them. Do you have Twitter or Facebook accounts? Shame by social network could have the desired chilling effect.

Dear Dog Lady

If your dog is in a dog fight, what’s the best thing to do? I ask because I recently did the absolute wrong thing. An aggressive beagle, which had run away from its owner, attacked my border collie while we were walking in the woods.

I waded into the fight, grabbed the beagle by the haunches and tossed it a good eight feet away. The dog came back and resumed the attack on my dog who was on her back (Doglish for “You win, please stop.”) I grabbed the beagle again by its haunches and threw it again. I could easily have broken that beagle’s back.

The owner of the beagle came along a few minutes later, shock collar shocker in hand. She had been training the beagle with the shock collar and it had escaped. I told her our dogs had been in a fight and wished her luck with the training.

Chris

Dear Chris, actually, you did the absolute correct thing. You intervened in a dog fight by pulling off the aggressive dog by its haunches. The worst is when you try to grab your own dog at mouth-level and the fighter dog attacks you. Sure, you can think afterward about how you might have broken the beagle’s back. Yet, at the moment of attack, your adrenaline guided you in the right direction. The whole scene must have been very scary.

Dog Lady gets a chill thinking of how this woman with the pain-inducing shock collar trains her beagle for chaos. That dog attacked your border collie out of primal fear. The beagle was scared to death of the collar and running for its life. The only thing you did wrong was wish the woman good luck. She has no clue about the kind and healthy way to treat a dog.

Dear Dog Lady,

After just taking our pit bull mix, Max, to the shop for a bath, he smells again about a week later. He has a well-balanced diet, gets his share of treats that are also healthy, and has a walk each and every day for 30 to 45 minutes.

Why does he smell? I ask for the oatmeal baths and they help somewhat, but he still smells. The odor is not an earth shattering, “get-outta-the room” smell, but a smell nonetheless. Any ideas on what I can do to prevent this? I wash his bedding at least two times a month.

Shirley

Dear Shirley, dogs smell. They have a bouquet that’s stinky to some and ambrosial to others. Liver breath makes Dog Lady happy because it’s a reminder her dog is a dog.

You should take your pit bull mix to a veterinarian. Sometimes a foul-smelling dog is sick or allergic. The vet can run tests to determine if there’s an organic cause for Max’s malodorous condition. If your vet determines your dog is healthy and this is just him being him, make your peace with Max’s aroma. The more you bond, the more you will accept him for being a dog. Remember, bathing Max too much can dry out his skin.

And how great you are walking your dog every day and giving him healthy treats. When you walk Max outside in the fresh air, your dog smells of springtime.

Visit www.askdoglady.com to ask a question or make a comment. Follow @askdoglady on Twitter. Listen to “Ask Dog Lady,” the radio show, on WCAP 980AM (www.980WCAP.com) on Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.